Free Mine To Take (Nine Circles) by Jackie Ashenden Page A

dinner?”
    “I learned a few things in Paris,” Violet said with a knowing look. “And not all of them were about giving head.”
    “Vi, for God’s sake.”
    “What?” With a sudden, lithe movement, her friend uncoiled from the couch in a tinkling of bracelets and a swish of silk skirts. “You need a glass of wine. Or twenty. Just wait here, I’ll get you one.”
    Honor put her hand over her eyes. No, she didn’t need a glass of wine. What she needed was a good shrink to tell her exactly why she found Gabriel Woolf so damn disconcerting. And fascinating.
    A thread of sandalwood perfume drifted near. Honor took her hand away to find her friend standing beside her chair looking concerned.
    “Hey,” Violet said. “You’re really worried about this, aren’t you?”
    Honor let out a breath. Because the little issue of Gabriel Woolf and her attraction to him wasn’t the only problem. There was something else that had been sitting on the edge of her consciousness, just biding its time. Waiting for her to remember.
    The apartment’s thick curtains hid the night glitter of the city outside but it couldn’t keep out the sounds of traffic or the distant blare of sirens. A busy, noisy life going on outside the quiet of the room.
    “It’s not just about Gabriel Woolf,” Honor said at last. “There’s also Alex.”
    “Alex?” Shock passed over Violet’s delicate features. “But how?”
    “The two of them were friends, remember? Woolf told me he’s still in touch with him.”
    “Jesus.”
    “Yes. It’s going to make for an interesting week.” Understatement of the year. Probably of the whole damn century.
    Violet frowned down at her. “This could be good, Honor,” she said after a moment. “You wanted to know what happened to Alex, right? Now’s your chance.”
    “Actually I don’t know if I want to. He left without a word and…” She stopped abruptly, the old anger a small hot ball in the center of her chest. No, she wouldn’t let herself feel it. She wouldn’t expend any more emotion on the brother who had abandoned her and her mother. She downright refused to.
    Violet was silent and Honor didn’t feel the need to offer any further explanations. Her friend knew the deal anyway, had been the ear Honor had poured out all her teenage angst to back when they were still at school together.
    “What about your mom?” Violet said at last. “I would think she’d want to know.”
    The exhaustion crept deeper into Honor’s bones. Of course her mother would want to know. Alex’s disappearance had just about killed her. “I guess I really have no choice but to go now.”
    Violet moved, her fingers brushing reassuringly over Honor’s where they rested on the arm of her chair. “Don’t worry, hon. You can handle this Gabriel guy. You’ll be fine. Now, how about you kick back while I go pour you a wine?”
    Honor only nodded. And hoped like hell that her friend was right.
    *   *   *
    The arrangements took Honor nearly a week. Weston did something miraculous and somehow managed to clear her schedule, though it meant working a few twelve-hour days in order to get through the work she already had on her plate so that it wouldn’t back up into unmanageable proportions while she was away. Then she had to organize things with Guy and one of his hotels.
    The chain stretched around the globe, but only two had been fully remodeled into Guy’s idea of a luxury eco-hotel, one in Mexico and one in Vermont. Although the idea of Mexican heat appealed to her—especially given the winter New York was currently experiencing—Vermont was closer. Plus Mexico felt too much like a vacation, and this was definitely not going to be a vacation. This was purely business. She was going to have to bring some work with her since Gabriel had insisted on a week, but she really didn’t mind that. Anything to keep her mind on the job and not on the fascinating Mr. Woolf.
    She decided not to give Gabriel the choice of